'Lost' in a culinary paradise during the flood season.

Dishes made from snakehead fish are highly sought after by tourists during the flood season in the Mekong Delta - Photo: PHUOC THANH

The annual flood season brings with it floodwaters and silt that inundates the rice fields, carrying fish and shrimp from upstream along the Mekong River to the Mekong Delta.

The flood season in the Mekong Delta is filled with joy and vitality for the people living along the river, a season for harvesting the abundant aquatic resources bestowed by nature, from which dozens of specialty dishes are created, making visitors from afar yearn to return.

Hundreds of Western Vietnamese dishes made from fish

What are the most characteristic dishes to eat in the Mekong Delta during the flood season? It's difficult to give a complete and precise answer. It depends on the diner's taste. However, the dish that many visitors seek out and try is probably those made from snakehead fish.

Braised snakehead fish with mild seasoning, served with water lily and wild jasmine flowers... - Photo: DANG TUYET

The snakehead fish alone can be prepared into various dishes: battered and fried, braised in light sauce, sour soup, fish sauce hotpot, sweet and sour hotpot, grilled in betel leaves, braised in rice wine, fermented into fish sauce, and used to make fish sauce (with large fish caught at the end of the season)...

Discerning diners choose to visit the Mekong Delta several times during the flood season to enjoy braised snakehead fish with water lily and wild jasmine flowers, or snakehead fish in sour soup with water lily and wild jasmine flowers.

But this season there isn't just one type of fish; there are countless freshwater fish, each with its own unique preparation method and flavor.

Our ancestors, from the time of the first settlement of Southern Vietnam, rightly summarized: grilling is the best, frying is second, stir-frying is third, and boiling is fourth.

Grilled snakehead fish wrapped in young lotus leaves - Photo: DANG TUYET

Grilled dishes include: grilled snakehead fish, grilled eel, grilled field mouse with salt and chili... their aroma wafting across the fields. Boiled dishes are also diverse, with boiled field crabs and snails served with salt and chili.

Delicious dishes with the rich flavor of alluvial soil.

The dishes mentioned above, once part of the daily meals of people in the Mekong Delta, have now become specialties served at tourist resorts and restaurants, attracting visitors to come and enjoy them.

Dishes served to guests during the flood season - Photo: PHUOC THANH

Here, after a hard day's work in the fields, a hearty meal would often be served in the side kitchen of the house, consisting of just a pot of braised anchovies, a bowl of sour soup with water spinach or water lily or wild jasmine flowers, dipped in fish sauce made from small fish.

That alone is enough to fill it with flavor.

Stir-fried freshwater shrimp with Sesbania grandiflora flowers offers an unforgettable sweet and refreshing taste - Photo: PHUOC THANH

That's why travelers who are sometimes stranded are invited by locals to share a simple meal of soup and braised fish, and they remember it fondly. The warmth of our riverside homeland spreads far and wide.

Experiencing the culinary delights of the Mekong Delta during the flood season can leave diners feeling lost, unsure of which dish to eat first, whether to choose grilled or stewed options, whether to dine at specialty restaurants or simply share a meal with local farmers.

However, whichever experience you choose, it will surely be one of the most beautiful memories associated with the beloved flood seasons, full of affection and the rich flavor of the alluvial soil of Southern Vietnam.

This season, the fields are covered with wildflowers - Photo: PHUOC THANH

Braised dolphin fish (braised with pepper) is usually served with white rice and sour soup - Photo: PHUOC THANH

Boiled snails with lemongrass - Photo: PHUOC THANH

Boiled freshwater crabs served with chili salt dip - Photo: PHUOC THANH

Grilled field mouse with salt and chili - Photo: DANG TUYET

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lac-loi-giua-thien-duong-am-thuc-mua-nuoc-noi-20240926102929818.htm